Calif. cops face heat over shootings of civilians

The NAACP presented statistics from Oakland authorities on 45 officer-involved shootings from 2004 to 2008, one-third of which were fatal and 37 victims were black

By Demian BulwaThe San Francisco Chronicle

OAKLAND, Calif. — NAACP leaders came to Oakland on Thursday to demand that police agencies everywhere do more to stop what are often referred to as waistband shootings, when an officer opens fire on a suspect in the mistaken belief the person is reaching for a weapon.

In most cases, the dead person is an African American man, said the leaders, who included NAACP President Benjamin Jealous.